The Real Deal New York

Equity’s Upper West Side building gets “exoskeletal” look

Design frees up space in interior of 20-story building near 68th Street

February 17, 2014 10:15AM

Equity Residential’s forthcoming 20-story residential building on the Upper West Side has received new renderings, with the façade displaying a particularly exoskeletal design. The project at 170 Amsterdam Avenue, near 68th Street, is slated to hold 236 units, either rentals or condominiums. Handel Architects is heading up the long, narrow design.

“The solution moved the building’s structure to the exterior in the form of an exoskeleton, freeing up space on the interior previously occupied by columns,” the architecture firm said.

Equity, a Chicago-based real estate investment trust led by Sam Zell, bought the site from American Continental Properties in 2011 for $76.5 million, as previously reported. The firm picked up a 99-year leasehold on the 20,700-square-foot site. [New York Yimby] — Mark Maurer